


Falling into Shadows

by space_gay001



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Family, Gen, Multiple background ocs, Pre-Constant, maybe more in later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 15:50:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21478924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space_gay001/pseuds/space_gay001
Summary: The life of Charlie before she is dragged into the Constant.
Relationships: Charlie & Maxwell (Don't Starve), Charlie & Winona (Don't Starve)
Kudos: 6





	Falling into Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> After writing Charlie as cruel in my last fic, I thought I'd revisit the way most of the fandom sees her as a sympathetic character. I love my girl and I want to do her justice lol

She had always been a timid child. As the younger of two sisters, Charlie usually looked up to Winona to provide help and safety. But now, in this moment, she was alone. The family of four had visited a nearby park, and the children had gone off to play on their own. Winona, always the adventurous one, had forged ahead through a path of brambles that Charlie was too afraid to go through. She sat on a nearby rock, huddled as small as she could make herself. The woods were scary, but she would never admit that if it held back her sister from exploring. Hopefully she wouldn’t be long, and they could travel a tamer path together.

Rustling in some nearby bushes startled Charlie. She gasped as something jumped out, but it was only a rabbit. For a moment, they locked eyes, both caught in each other’s gaze. Then, the rabbit scampered away to find some other hiding spot away from people. Charlie sometimes wished she could be a rabbit. They were afraid, like her, but always were fast enough and small enough to hide. The silence was interrupted by loud talking in the distance. Recognizing the voices, Charlie jumped up and made to run, but she didn’t want to get lost, and couldn’t risk following Winona into the jagged wall of thorns. She braced her back against a tree as three boys entered the clearing. Rodger and his little pack of friends were always picking on her at school, and alone in the middle of the woods was the worst possible way she could think of to be caught.

“Well, look who it is!” Rodger’s eyes lit up as he stopped his prey. “What’cha doin’ alone out here?”

“Playing,” the girl mumbled.

“Oh, of course, of course. Mind if we join you?” The two boys snickered behind him.

“Winona will be back soon.” Charlie hoped at least the threat of her tough older sister would scare the boys away.

“Well, I don’t see her anywhere. Come on, let’s have some fun!” He stepped toward her and she shrunk against the bark. “Don’t you want to play tag with us?” Charlie shook her head no. “That’s to bad, cause you’re it!” The taller boy grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the tree, using the momentum to push her too the ground. Charlie tried scooting back, but her feet caught on her skirt and she stumbled.

“Please leave me alone,” she begged.

“Why should I? You can’t do nothin’ about it, pipsqueak.” The boy moved to kick her and she curled in on herself, whimpering. The group broke out in raucous laughter. “Scaredy-cat! You aren’t so tough without big sis around, huh?” Charlie sniffled, tears starting to leak from her eyes. She truly was alone out here, no grownups around to see the bullying and stop it, and no one to defend her.

“Awww, the poor baby’s crying!” one the boys taunted.

“Crybaby, crybaby!” The two lackeys chanted. Rodger laughed and kicked some dirt at her. It landed on her white dress, soiling it. Her mother was going to be mad at her for it getting dirty. Charlie shrunk away from the taunting boys, trying to hold back her scared tears.

“Hey! Dumb-dumbs!” Her salvation came in the form of Winona. The older girl’s pants were torn up, her arms covered in scratches, but she didn’t even seem to notice. Her dirt-smudged face glared daggers at the three boys. Rodger immediately backed up.

“Hey there, w-we were just playing tag!”

“Oh yeah? Tag this!” She reeled back her fist and punch Rodger square in the jaw. He fell to the ground, knocking the wind out of his lungs. The other boys turned tail and ran. Winona bents down and got right in their leader’s face. “Don’t mess with my sister again, or I’ll give you a real pounding!”

“Ms. White said you can’t…you’ll get in trouble again…”

“Do you see any teachers out here? Now get lost ya little rat.” The boy scrambled to his feet and retreated with his friends. Winona knelt by Charlie, tears now falling freely. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she sniffled.

“Don’t worry about them, I’m not gonna let them hurt you again.”

“Why didn’t you come back sooner?” she sobbed.

“Shhh, it’s okay. I tried to as soon as I heard them, but I got stuck.” She showed her slashed up arm. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Does it hurt?”

“A little. But we’ll both be fine. Let’s get out of here before it starts to get dark.” Charlie nodded, and Winona helped her to her feet. Charlie frowned and brushed off her dress as best she could.

“Mom’s gonna be mad.”

“I’ll tell her it’s not your fault. Maybe she’ll complain to the school and get Rodger in trouble again.” They both smiled at the prospect. Winona took Charlie’s hand and led her out of the woods. Their parents were worried when their daughters came back scraped and bloody, but they were relieved when they found out the situation didn’t escalate too far.

Back at home, their mom was cleaning up the cuts on Winona’s arms. She complained as the cold water stung, but otherwise stayed tough. Charlie had changed into a clean dress and was playing nearby with a stuffed bear.

“You girls should be more careful in the woods. Don’t go too far again, understood?” Charlie nodded and Winona groaned. “I mean it. The woods are no place for young ladies anyway. I’d rather you play in the fields.

“There’s nothing fun there though, just boring old grass.” Winona pouted.

“I’m sure you’ll find something fun to do.” She placed one last bandage on Winona’s arm. “Now, come help me with dinner.”

That night, Charlie snuck out of her room into Winona’s bed. Her sister sleepily rolled over and rested her weight on Charlie.

“Hey, get off!” Winona laughed as the girl tried fruitlessly to push her big sister off. She relented and rolled back over. “Thanks for saving me today.”

“Of course, you’re my baby sister. I’ll always protect you.”

“Even if it’s something big and scary?”

“I’m not scared of anything. I’ll punch a bear if I have to.” Charlie giggled and wrapped her arms around Winona, the two falling asleep together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~

“Ladies, pick up the pace!” The head operator of the 57th Street Switchboard Co. paced down the rows of busy women talking and moving cord plugs. Charlie sighed and switched a new call on to her headset, trying to ignore the many blinking lights indicating waiting callers.

“Hello, how may I direct your call?” Her brain was on autopilot; she had quickly learned to tune out noise and focus just on what she was saying. She allowed her eyes to wander briefly over to the clock on the wall. Just an hour left, then she could go home. She transferred the call to the correct line and stretched her back as she pressed the button for the next caller. A light touch on her arm drew her attention to the woman on her right, a part-time singer around her age named Betty.

“Wish they’d get some air in here, huh?” Betty whispered, her heavy New York accent audible, to her before speaking into her headset.

“Maybe he’d cool down a bit,” Charlie responded by gesturing to the head operator. The two laughed silently and turned back to their work.

“Hello, girls. I see you’ve been keeping busy.” Unbeknownst to them, the operator had seen their exchange and stepped up behind them. Charlie nervously looked over her shoulder, transferring her call before speaking.

“I’ve been keeping up Mr. Johnson, don’t you worry.”

“I’d better see that reflected in the waiting callers soon.”

“Yes, sir.” As he walked away, she grimaced toward Betty, and didn’t let herself dally until the end of her shift.

“Whew, glad that’s over!” Betty followed Charlie through the crowd of women leaving the building. “What do you say to a drink? I’m performing tonight down on fifth.”

“No, thanks, I’ve got a letter to send. Congratulations on your gig, though! How’s the place?”

“It’s some little hole in the wall, but I heard the tips usually aren’t bad.”

“Well, I wish you luck!”

“Thanks! See ya, Charlie!” They parted at their usual spot as Charlie turned down the street to her apartment. The partially constructed skyscraper on the corner was outlined in the golden light of sunset. She basked in the cool fresh air as she walked, noting the smells of the city that she still hadn’t quite gotten used to after a year.

Her apartment on the third floor offered a nice view but was quite a hike when the elevator was broken, which was often. She entered the small room a bit sweaty, and quickly placed her coat on the corner of the headboard. The chair in front of the rickety desk creaked as she collapsed into it, sighing. She switched on the lamp to illuminate her half-finished letter she had been forced to abandon that morning when she lost track of time and had to rush to work.

_Dear Winona,_

_How are you? It seems like it’s been forever since we last spoke. Work is going well, I’m hoping I’ll get a raise soon, if I don’t tick off the boss anytime soon! I hope that yours is going well too, lighting up that tricky mineshaft sounds difficult, but if anyone can do it you can. Remember that time you fixed the radio when you were 10? Dad wouldn’t stop bragging for days! It seems so long ago since we were children, yet every time I see you it’s as though not a single day has passed. Now that you’re settled into the new job site, I was hoping you could take a trip up here sometime. The park looks absolutely gorgeous this time of year, I’d love to take you sometime. Write me back soon!_

_ With Much Love,_

_ Charlie_

She finished off with her signature, all neat curls, then sealed the letter. She double checked Winona’s last letter for the new address; her sister had struggled to find a job in mechanics, so she had taken up mining for the time being. It wasn’t her favorite, but Winona loved hard work, so she was content. Charlie couldn’t imagine being so far underground, in dim light, straining day after day. It sounded terrifying, but Winona was brave. Charlie set the letter aside to take with her to the post office tomorrow and flopped back onto her bed. She gazed sleepily at the dim lightbulb hanging from the ceiling; it didn’t do much, but it was a small comfort in her dull room. Dull seemed to describe her whole life nowadays. Work was fine, enough to pay the bills, but she wished she could do something more exciting. She would never fit in with Winona’s line of work, but she envied the relative freedom she had travelling all around the country. Charlie has started saving extra coins in an old jar, hoping to one day buy a train ticket to somewhere far away for a vacation. Where to, she didn’t know, but the anticipation of an adventure kept her going through her monotonous daily routine. With a sigh, she forced herself up to get ready for the night. She fell asleep and dreamed of a train taking her across the ocean.

A few weeks later, Charlie finally received word that Winona was taking a few days off to come see her. She joyfully prepared by buying some of her favorite foods and cleaning things up in her apartment; she may live by simple means, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be a good host. She met her at the train station with an enthusiastic hug.

“Hey, hey, easy! You’re gonna make me drop everything!” Winona laughed and set down her suitcase to hug her back. “I missed ya sis.”

“I missed you too. But I’m so excited for the new few days, I have so much to show you.”

“That’s great! We should probably go back to your place first so I can wash up, bossman kept me long so I didn’t have much time before I left.” Charlie took a step back, and sure enough, Winona’s coveralls were dusty and her face had a few black smudges. She laughed and rubbed at a stain on her cheek, Winona swatting her hand away playfully. “Come on! Show me your fancy new apartment!”

Charlie opened her front door for Winona. “I definitely wouldn’t call it ‘fancy’,” she chuckled.

“I like it, it’s cozy.”

“Well, it’s our home for the next few days, so make yourself comfortable. Winona dropped her stuff and pulled off her boots clumsily as she walked toward the bathroom.

“So how was that one friend of yours doing, the singer?” she called from the open door while throwing her dirty clothes back out into the bedroom.

“Betty? Oh yeah, she’s been moving up quite a bit! I went to one of her shows the other night and her voice was gorgeous.” Charlie sighed happily at the memory.

“Oo la la, look at you going out to fancy shows,” Winona raised her voice over the shower water. “Is she cute?”

“Betty?” Charlie laughed. “I suppose. You wouldn’t happen to be interested in meeting her, would you?” she teased.

“Oh, well, you know, if we have the time,” Winona feigned nonchalance.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to meet the city girls while you’re here. Don’t get carried away though, make sure they’re safe before you ask. I don’t know Betty _that _well.”

“I will, I will. How about you? Found anyone you like yet?”

“No, not really. I’ve been a bit too busy to go out and meet people. I’ve talked to some nice guys and gals that I could see myself liking, but I just don’t feel ready yet.”

“That’s fine, you’re a working girl. You’ve got a lot to take care of right now.”

“I know.” Charlie heard the shower turn off and dug through Winona’s suitcase for a fresh pair of clothes. “It’s just that, I know I’d like to go steady with someone. But there’s just too much in the way, I’m busy all the time, I don’t have much money…plus I’m saving up for that trip, and I don’t want to find someone only to run off a few months later.”

“Could always take them with you.” Winona reached out and grabbed the clothes Charlie handed her from behind the bathroom door.

“No way, that’d be way too fast.” Charlie laughed a bit, trying to distract herself from those discouraging thoughts. “And I can’t decide if I want to get serious, either. If I want to marry, I’ll have to find a good man, someone who can make enough money for a family. Or someone who’s okay with not having children, I still don’t know about those either.” Winona stepped out, looking fresh and energized, running a comb through her hair to brush it up in the style she liked.

“At least you don’t have to have your whole life figured out right now. You’re doing great where you are, I’m sure mom and dad are both proud of you.”

“I don’t doubt they are.” Charlie smiled. “Well, now that I’ve complained about my problems, it’s your turn.”

“Ugh, don’t even get me started,” Winona settled down in the desk chair across from Charlie on the bed. “My boss is a complete idiot, he has no idea how any of the basic operations work. I keep telling him that no, we can’t just start a whole new shaft in a day, it takes a while to build the supports, and make sure it’s lit, and try and find the best pathway to expose the most materials…it’s a nightmare babysitting him and making sure he doesn’t put anyone in danger.”  
“It’s a good think you’re so good at this stuff, huh?”

“Yeah. Everyone’s saying I could take over someday, but no way am I going to be a supervisor. Just cause I know how things work doesn’t mean I want to be in change. Although maybe running my own little operation would be fun. Gosh, I wish I had a proper workshop, I could finally get started on building those ideas I had.”

“Oh, I remember you telling me about those! The automatic catapult sounded so interesting.”

“Ha, yeah that’ll be a fun one. I wonder if there’s a nice factory around here I could at least get started at.”

“I’m sure there is, not this close to the city, but maybe a few miles out?”

“Ah, I can go job hunting later. Let’s go out and you can give me the tour!”

Charlie and Winona walked arm-in-arm along the sunny streets of New York City. Charlie took her to all her favorite little shops and restaurants, and they ate lunch at her favorite bakery. The weather at the park was a bit dreary, but they had a great time all the same. Charlie showed her the bench she often visited to feed the crows; as they approached, the birds started gathering in anticipation of a meal. Winona laughed raucously as Charlie tried to gently shoo the birds off so she could get to her purse.

“These little guys are enthusiastic, huh?” Winona chuckled.

“I suppose they’re used to me feeding them! I have some seeds I usually keep on me somewhere…” She finally pulled out a wadded up paper bag, and threw a handful of seeds to the cawing birds. They dove after the food, no longer surrounding her. “I swear I see the same ones over and over, its like they know who I am.”

“That’s cute.” Winona joined her on the bench. “I’m glad you like it here. I really am proud of you for going out on your own.”

“Come on,” Charlie laughed, looking away shyly.

“I mean it! You were always such a nervous kid, I liked seeing you really grow into your adventurous spirit.”

“Working a day job in a city is hardly adventurous.” She rolled her eyes, smiling. “Thank you, though. I’m happy for you too.”

“Sap.” Winona playfully punched her arm.

“You started it!”

That night they slept together just like old times. Winona snored away next to her, and Charlie was having trouble falling asleep anyway. She kept wondering about being called adventurous. Sure, she wanted to do exciting things, but would she ever really? Her job was safe, and she was relatively comfortable here. She had no idea if she would take an opportunity to leave it all behind if it presented itself. Rolling over onto her back, she sighed. Charlie supposed she would have to learn to take what comes, she couldn’t predict the future after all. That thought finally set her mind at ease, and she drifted off to sleep.


End file.
